Summary: Be a walking witness, not a talking witness. How beautiful are the feet... Student ministry PowerPoint format.

14How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!“ (Romans 10:14-15)

This material was originally presented in PowerPoint format to a high school student ministry. If you have any questions or would like the original PowerPoint, drop me an email at Robert.fox@alltel.com.

[Be a Walking Witness]

Slide graphic: students on a beach witnessing

Slide text:

I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one. (Ezekiel 22:30)

A story is told about a time just after Christ returned from earth to heaven. The angel Gabriel rushed up to Christ and asked if Christ had suffered terribly. “Yes,” answered Christ – “I did.” “So now everyone on earth knows how much you love them and what you did for them?” asked Gabriel. “Oh, no. Only a handful.” “But Lord, how will the rest of the world find out – why didn’t you tell them?” “It’s OK, I asked Peter, James, John and the others to tell the others. And when they know, they will tell others. Soon the whole world will know.”

“But what if they don’t tell the others? What if they get to busy? What will you do then? Have you made any other plans?”

“I made no other plans,” answered Christ. “I’m counting on them”.

(From Wayne Rice – “Hot Illustrations for Youth Groups”)

Let’s say that you are out at the lake one day and you spot a drowning person. What would you do? Would you ignore their desperate condition and turn the other way? Or would you throw them a life preserver? If you are the decent person I imagine that you are, I am confident that you would try to do something to save that poor soul.

Similarly, each day you probably come in contact with dozens of people who are drowning without Christ in their life. For them, it’s only a matter of time before they will go down for the last time, unless someone like you, who has a life-preserver, can throw it their way and save their life.

One misconception you might have is that it is the job of the church staff to tell people about Christ and win the lost. This is just not so. The church staff are literally shepherds. Their prime focus, biblically, is to tend to the flock. Even if they, like Greg, have a real heart for evangelism, they can’t win the entire community by themselves, and aren’t charged to. They are to train up the body of the church (you) and equip you to go out and win the lost. This way instead of Greg going out by himself, God is using him to multiply the army of God marching out into the world.

Most people who become Christians do so before the age of 21 – your age. Most of them are not going to just happen to show up at a church event on their own and hear someone like Greg preach the gospel. You are the only vision of Christ that some of the people you meet may ever see.

“The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest". Matthew 9:37-38.

“I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!" John 4:35

[Spell My Feet]

Slide text: this is hard to explain. I found a website (google search for “anagram generator”) that allowed me to type in the names of some of my students and generate anagrams – words and phrases made up by re-arranging the letters in their names. For example, an anagram of “Robert Fox” (me) might be “Fort Boxer”. Some of them were hilarious. “Micah Farrish” – “armchair fish”. “Clay Trimble” = “Clam Liberty”. I built the powerpoint so that the anagram would show, then, after they guess, a mouse click would reveal the name. Everyone, not just students, likes to see their name up on the screen. Big fun.

I need five volunteers willing to take off their shoes and socks. No one in a dress, please.

Does anyone know what an anagram is? It is when you take a word or a phrase and mix up the letters to make another word or phrase. For example, the letters in the name “Micah Farish” also spell “armchair fish”. You guys see if you can guess these these names of students or adults in our ministry while I prepare my volunteers.